As we draw closer to the end of 2018, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on Roseville Rifle Club’s achievements over the past 12 months.

One of the key issues the committee recognised twelve months ago was the need to drive membership, so we all felt that the foundation for this was the need to modernise the clubhouse which had become a little tired and outdated. Through the tireless efforts of many members who either contributed financially or volunteered their labour, a number of significant improvements were made including creating a strong room, installation of a new kitchen (complete with new appliances), new floor coverings and a complete repaint of the internal areas of the clubhouse. The next stage of the refurbishment will commence in 2019 and include re-painting and re-cladding the external areas of the building.

From a membership perspective a number of initiatives were employed including the creation of new committee role (Membership/Marketing Officer) which Peter Walters is championing. Peter has been working on a number of initiatives to improve visitor’s experiences and I am pleased to report that we continued to grow this year and are now on track to meet our objective of 50 members by June 30th 2019 – amongst these new members we had a significant proportion of younger shooters who have shown enthusiasm and good potential.

Throughout 2018 many members participated in various OPMs, Queens and International competitions, as well as MDRA events and of course our own local Arn Hammond series. In many cases Roseville members distinguished themselves with lots of badges and medals being brought home throughout the course of the year. I recently looked at the national rankings for TR, FS and FTR and it was pleasing to note that a significant number of Roseville members are currently ranked amongst the top shooters in Australia.

With the Long Range World Championships coming up in January/February 2019 in Trentham New Zealand, I am pleased to advise that the competitive spirit is flowing strong, with several members (Mark, Angus, Adam and Patrick) competing, so we wish them all the very best for this prestigious international event.

I think we can all agree that one of the main reasons that our club is so successful, is the level of comradely, friendship and cohesiveness that binds us together – we all love our shooting, enjoy each other’s company and freely share information and that is something to be proud of.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Phill Hodder for all his time and effort over the years in his role as Club Captain – I have had very large shoes to fill, so I am so pleased that Phill took on the Vice-Captain’s role to assist in my transition into the role this year.

I wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas and I look forward to seeing you on the range in early 2019!